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National Museum of Natural History

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A New Pterosaur, Ancient Asteroid Brine and More Discoveries from the National Museum of Natural History in 2025

The year’s most notable findings also include insights into dog and sheep domestication and a new species of manta ray in the museum’s collection

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New Research Reveals That the Asteroid Bennu Likely Originated on Outskirts of the Solar System

Smithsonian researchers analyzed fragments of the near-Earth asteroid and discovered water-rich clays that hint at a distant origin

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Through the Fossil Grapevine: Museum Scientist Helps Untangle How the Fruit Thrived in the Aftermath of Extinction

The batch of newly-described fossils includes a species named after Smithsonian botanist Jun Wen

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day With the Ocean’s Oddest Couples and More Natural History Programs This February

Join the National Museum of Natural History for programs on asteroid samples, fossils and chimpanzees

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NMNH in Review: How an Asteroid Sample Traveled From Outer Space to the Museum's Mineral Hall

After a 500 million mile journey, a piece of the asteroid Bennu is now on display at the Smithsonian. But how did it get here?

Geolgist Cari Corrigan poses for a picture in the snow next to an American flag and a sign that reads "Geographic South Pole."

Get to Know the Geologist Collecting Antarctic Meteorites

Cari Corrigan gathers meteorites from the South Pole to help researchers understand the mineral makeup of asteroids and planets

Bennu is shaped like a three-dimensional diamond and seemingly smooth from far away. OSIRIS-REx is in the foreground of this artist’s replication. The spacecraft will gather a sample from Bennu next week. (NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona)

What an Asteroid Could Tell Us About Ancient Earth

As OSIRIS-REx approaches Asteroid Bennu, a new study suggests that massive boulders on its surface have moved a lot over the past few hundred thousand years.

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